Mother & son arrested for stealing from distracted shoppers

Miami
Township Police arrest a mother and son who they say were stealing purses, cash
and a phone from distracted shoppers.

Emma
Clark, 49, and her son, Andrew Burton, 31, of Goshen, were arrested on December
2.

It
started when Miami Township police officers were investigating a complaint of a
purse theft that had just occurred at the Meijer store in Miami Township. Police
were also investigating the theft of a wallet taken from a shopper's purse that
occurred on November 26 at the Kroger store on State Route 28 involving
suspects that matched the same description.

A wallet was taken from a woman's purse at Kroger while the victim
was looking at turkeys just two days before Thanksgiving.

Another purse was stolen from a woman's cart at the same Kroger
store the day before Thanksgiving while the victim was distracted near the
bakery.

A detective located two other open theft reports with
similarities. One involved the theft of an iPhone at the Game Stop on
November 29 and the other for the theft of a purse at Circle K on November
27.

Officers
say the cash and credit cards from the stolen purses were used to purchase gift
cards, gasoline and tobacco products. The purses and contents were discarded at
various locations.

"I'm proud of the work that our patrol officers and
investigators put into these cases and it's an example of the efforts they make
every day to protect our residents and visitors," said Sue Madsen, Miami
Township Police Chief. "We are asking that everyone take extra care
with their valuables while they're shopping and especially during the busy
holiday season of distractions."

Clark was charged with four counts of felony theft and is being
held at the Clermont County Jail on a $30,000 bond. Burton was charged
with two counts of Complicity to felony theft and is being held on a $10,000
Bond.